Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Dude is boring. 2/5

3. beautiful lyrics

I guess I don’t really love folk music. This was very good from the perspective of a lyricist. But I did not think very much of the song structures.

a few good songs but what is he talking about?

2.0

Just not great, but not absolutely awful

I ended up adding Suzanne to my Liked Songs list. But at this point I have to accept that not really liking Cohen is a me problem. I tried!

Whatever

This isn’t the version of Leonard Cohen I’m looking for. I want it darker, more brooding, the Cohen more steeped in shadow and gravity. This early album just doesn’t hit that mood for me.

it's fine. I found it soothing, but also generic. it just faded into the background.

melancolico pra porra

A little bit boring and dreary - like Dylan on valium. Don't hate it though but maybe just wasn't the right album to fit my mood today.

This dude looks constantly sad in all of his pictures. His music reflects this

Heart sank, was a little better than expected

Song writers should sometimes stay as writers... I like a couple of Cohen tracks but some is so dry and droll its hard work.

I get it. But also unfortunately, pretty dull.

meh 2.5/5

listened to the first few. suzanne is a banger, gonna rate it low js because it’s not great excel music.

It's fine. I've listened to it before, but it was unmemorable for me. I'm not a huge fan of the ambling songs without a chorus or more regular rhythm. It's the Dylan style, where it's just singing and singing and singing, ambling. I just don't care for it. Will likely not come back to it. His voice is just boring.

This feels like the kind of album that is "important". A bit like poetry with some music attached. I've never really been into poetry.

I generally like Leonard Cohen, but beyond Suzanne, this album didn't really do anything for me.

Love his song Hallelujah but I guess not much of his other stuff?

Too slow for my taste. Cohen is superb but this album is just not my cup of tea. Didn’t manage to get through the whole thing.

Only Leonard Cohen song i like is his Hallelujah. This is a mid album. 4/10

Wonderful finger-plucking guitar on this album. But I continue to be underwhelmed by Leonard Cohen. He’s just not for me. There are some thought-provoking lyrics and nice musical moments, but overall it felt monotonous to me. I was bored.

Harmonies of the backup singers. Symbolism in the lyrics are lost on me. Leonard C wasn't played in my growing up house that I recall. Songs are too melancholy for a rainy-ish Sunday morning. Awesome Spanish Guitar? on Teacher. Master: meaning evades this listener; the Reddit discussion gives this song deep religious meaning, so.. OK to that. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): The Stranger. Teacher. ⭐⭐ Didn't like it. Didn't hate it, Didn't understand it.

Leonard Cohen is another one of those artists I’ve heard of, but never actually listened to. Considering how many albums he’s got on the 1001 Albums list though, I do appreciate the Generator dropping me in at the earliest possible point in his discography! Frankly, I had a similar experience with my first Leonard Cohen album as my first Nick Cave album a few weeks back – I can’t really find myself resonating with this style of songwriting, even if it’s not all uncomfortably explicit murder ballads this time. My enjoyment of the LP did pick up toward the end and I found Cohen’s voice much less grating than Cave’s, but still not enough to push Songs of Leonard Cohen higher than two stars for me. A bit scared to dig further into his discography, but hopefully things get better from here! Highlights: Master Song, So Long Marianne, Stories of the Street, One of Us Cannot Be Wrong

1. Suzanne - 4 Lyrically this is so random. At times it feels like it's brilliant and at other times it loses you. There's barely any respite between the lyrics as well. It just seems like a constant droning of lyrics that gives you no time to figure out what's exactly going on in the song. 2. Master Song - 5 It's a decent track. Lyrically it's very bang average. The strings and small brass, particularly the brass at the end of the track are small lovely touches. 3. Winter Lady - 6 Another decent track. Much better written than the previous two, but nothing so far has been anything overly phenomenal. 4. The Stranger Song - 5 Lyrically a little bit perplexing. Not a bad song but again, nothing excellent that would warrant another play. 5. Sisters of Mercy - 4 Exactly the same kind of track as the first four. 6. So Long, Marianne - 6 Very enjoyable track. Background vocals add a lot of great sound alongside a brilliantly paced guitar. Lyrically it's also the strongest on the album so far. 7. Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye - 5 Decent love song. Nothing remarkable about it but lyrically it's very enjoyable. 8. Stories of the Street - 5 Much better sound on the guitar and good vocals. Lyrics are a bit strange at times. 9. Teachers - 4 The guitar on this is amazing but lyrically and vocally this is unpleasant. 10. One of Us Cannot Be Wrong - 3 Just not an enjoyable track in any aspect. Average Rating: 4.70 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 2.35 Rounded Down: 2 Stars

I think this one was better than I'm your man, but still not really something I was super moved by.

Easy listening, relaxing, but not my style

I didn’t know so many white guys with guitars sounded so uniquely boring.

shut up ya boring bastard

Just a bummer of an album. Everything quiet and too mellow and gloomy. So Long, Marianne stood out. 2/5.

Ihan mukavan kuulosta hidasta laulantaa ja sopii taustameteliksi, mutta kyllä jo puolessa välissä alkoi hieman kyllästyttää kun jokainen biisi on täysin samallainen ja voidaan Hallelujah lyödä tähän samaan kastiin.. Vois olla kolmonen mut ehkä tän päivän olotila ois vaatinu jotain menevämpää ja lasketaan tällä kertaa alaspäin

Tää on vähän hankala levy kuunnella työn ohessa, kun ei oo oikeen näissä biiseissä mitään muuta kuin tarina, eikä pysty siihen keskittymään samalla.

Vaikutti siltä että vaatisi enemmän keskittymistä kuin mitä projektissa töiden taustalla pystyn antamaan, joten arvostellaan pelkän musiikillisen ensivaikutelman pohjalta, joka oli kenties vähän liiankin "rentoa" kitaran näppäilyä omaan makuun

Boring old man rock. Fine as background music but it doesn't have anything that excites me or speaks to me on an emotional level

This guy seems like a pompous asshole that likes the smell his own farts

This is not my jam, and if it played on the radio, I'd very probably change the station. That being said, it's pretty crazy to just hear a guy's voice and not have it be autotuned to high heaven.

Very clear vocals and good lyrics. Didn't hit me terribly hard though.

I know, I know, I’m supposed to like this guy. He’s one of the greats. All I can say is zzzzzzzz. Go be a poet.

I seem to like the songs of Leonard Cohen more when they're performed by others.

meh

I thought I would like this. I really didn’t.

Boring

Like Bob Dylan… but American. They’re both American! And he’s also not as good. Pretty boring album.

this album was so boring not even gonna lie

He is so boring.

Old songwriter simple songs

Finally done with Leonard Cohen. god gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers

2/5. Из вежливости переслушал.

Old fashion

Nelabai.

2 stars. I know this guy because of Hallelujah

Sooooo slow and sleepy

I found this to be very boring

I don't know what to make of this. He looks he would be crooner like Sinartra bur it's more like beatnik spoken word poetry jam. It reminds me of William Shatner's attempts at singing but Cohen has some talent. His prose throughout is too similar in the vast majority of his songs. So Long, Marianne is the best song in a sense that it's a more melodic song than others. He is songwriting is good but I just see anytime I would listen to this beyond this list. 2 only because it's more interesting than good.

It was ok.

I dont remember this album being so doleful.

Almost hypnotically boring and mumble-y

The whole album is very ominous and sometimes creepy but not usually in a way that I like

Not a fan.

What kind of drugs was this man on?

He sounds like the kinds of guy who believes that he is the smartest guy in the room, is bummed about nearly everything, and has disdain for a lot of people. Even though, that describes me a lot of the time, I found this album boring and depressing. Go figure?

point8.

A dark and mellow atmospheric ride. A bit too much similarity between the songs do cause it to be a bit monotonous (is that a real word?) for a whole album stretch. It has it's time and place, but I'll stick to Dylan for my 60's folky stuff for now. Enjoy the lyrics though. Favorite track: The Stranger Song

2.5

Lyrically, I really enjoyed this. It was eloquent, evoked proper emotions, and was more thoughtful than most of the song writing you find here. You're living the story Cohen is painting as you listen. The acoustic guitar is also soothing. The primary issue is that Cohen's voice is pretty monotone, and the album begins to get boring quickly in every other aspect. It feels so incredibly long despite being only 10 songs.

Alright, some Leonard Cohen! I still think he looks like fuckin Al Pacino! lol I love his voice. It's so smooth and deep. Lot's of story in his songs. Meh, this one wasn't that great. 2 stars

I guess I like the overall morose sound but its very same-same and I don't care to listen to the lyrics

Ooft. Sorry to say, today, some of this felt like doing homework. A bit of a chore

i think on second thought i don’t actually like leonard cohen

Not really for me. I can understand how it is influential to the genre, but every song sounds the same to me. I prefer complex melodies and instrumentation more than lyrics so there was nothing really special on this for me. 2/5

Just a bit boring for my tastes. Also too gentle.

Kind of dull, and not really music, more poems set to very minimal acoustic guitar and a tiny bit of instrumentation.

Ok

Almost feels like it was made train-of-thought. It's certainly easy to listen to but it doesn't connect with me. Maybe if I were driving a lonely road in the fall I might feel different. But the summer months this just doesn't fit.

Was alright but I didn't really have an emotional connection to the music so just sounds a bit slow and sad

mopey

Fierce dreary 🙁

I just can't get into Cohen. Too little.

lento lento

I love Cohen's voice but I would love to hear something accompanying it. To.me this album is like Bob Dylan albums of the same era where after a time the lure of the poetry wears off and everything begins to sound like stream of consciousness nonsense.

not a bad album, but I don't like slow-paced songs.

I was just not into this at all. It was slow poetry set to some low key guitar and occasionally some other instrumental music in the background. The lyrics were ok, I just couldn't get invested in the storytelling. Standouts were "Suzanne" and "So Long, Marianne" "Teachers" - the guitar is really nice in this one. In the end, it was just kind of boring. There were a couple of ok sounding tracks, but nothing really that captivating musically. This could have been an email. 2/5

bored

Good songwriter and interesting lyrics, really pulls you in. Just really not what I want from music and not for me. I can imagine that if you're really into quality songwriting over sparse instrumentals that you'll love this.

not my vibe but i get it

as much as the other sad girlies love leonard cohen, he's just not for me. one song at a time is my limit.

Leonard Cohen really just wrote two songs and called it a day, didnt he? All the same cadence, some short, some long. No variation in tone. How he became so revered as a songwriter is beyond me

2 stars 60s folk can be repetitive and difficult to get through a full album for me because it’s so one note. I appreciate the craft and songwriting but it can be like sitting through a poetry reading with a guitar. Not my favorite and definitely not something I’d return to on my own.

It may be that I listened to this in the wrong kind of environment. I had it playing in my car while driving back from seeing the orchestra. This meant my partner and I were chatting, and there was motorway engine sounds in the background. Perhaps if my attention was fully on the album, I’d have heard more beauty in it. As it was, it felt like a bunch of songs that all sound very similar to each other. Any of these songs in isolation would have likely been fine, but 42 minutes of it resulted in my lost attention.

Nunca pude comprender a Cohen en su música y sus versos, me parecen tan cursis y aburridisimos con la misma tonada.

Not my thing

Not my vibe. Melodic voice, but it all felt very same-y.

Can't say I was excited to listen to a 4th Leonard Cohen album. At least it seemed like he tried to make music here. I still didn't like it, but it's by far the best of his albums that I listened to.

Every song is boring and slow

Too dergy for me

I needed a lift on this Monday morning. This put me in a drab mood for the duration.

Not bad. Not my thing, but it was fine

Wasn't very impressed.

Music for a generation, just not mine

Some heart felt lyrics, but overall, 🥱🥱

Pleasant enough, not something I would be wanting to listen to again. By then end of the album I was glad there was no more. Off to listen to some Joy Division to cheer myself up after that.

I approached this album with the preconception that i font like Leonard Cohen’s vocals, so was pleasantly surprised that they didn’t immediately grate on me. The man can write emotive lyrics and is his younger years could passably sing these. However, it’s just generally a bit dull. Suzanne and So long Marianne are stand outs in a fairly bland album

I’m not as clinically depressed after it as I thought I would be, oddly.

My mind kept wandering while trying to listen to this. I was feeling a bit guilty about not giving it my full attention until I realised that we're just not a compatible pair. I don't mind Suzanne or So Long, Marianne but I don't particularly enjoy the vocals and a lot of the instrumentation felt quite samey between tracks. The weird ear-to-ear wailing and warbling of One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong was the final nail in the coffin. 2/5

Too slow for me

I liked marianne and can see why people like him, but wasnt for me.

Some great moments on this album. “So Long, Marianne” has some much needed instrumentation other than acoustic guitar. I feel like I get why people think Leonard Cohen is great, but it’s a little bit slow for my tastes. Perhaps if there were more instruments throughout the album it would pick up a bit.

First impressions - I'm 5 tracks in and this needs to get better, quickly. Every single track is identical - that's not always a bad thing, but it is when it's just someone rambling monotonously. I can feel my mood getting darker and darker. Update - I made it all the way through. I'm not sure it actually got any better in the second half, but by then I'd kind of given up on it and was engrossed in other activities so it was really just on in the background. In summary, it was boring as fuck and far removed from what I would consider good.

I understand why people may like it. It's just to slow for me. The story telling, writing and poetry is very creative. And I know there is a beat in there. I'm just not good enough to find it.

snooooooze. But really there's some great songwriting here but I've never understood the near cult-like devotion some have for this guy.

langweilig

Soundtrack to 2002-2008 Monday Happy Hour at any bar in Brooklyn. From the looks of the cover it must have been the soundtrack to a Dustin Hoffman movie too.

The stranger song

I think I didn't hate this Cohen album? Maybe? It wasn't as fart-huffing, I know that much. It's 1:30 am 3 days after I listened. This is my review.

I hate this but I'll give it a 2 because it's at least a slight improvement over the other trash of his I've heard from this list.

Old time folk, it's ... Okay. Chill doesn't really describe it, rather it gets boring to listen to. 2

Mr Cohen has a special voice and style, but still full album of that stuff is too much for me.

Yawwwwwwwn. The music really matches the album artwork. He looks like he just listened to this album. Felt similar to how I experienced Dylan - just pretty simplistic and variations on a theme. Mostly 2 chords with a dragging vocal line. Hadn’t heard the influence on Fionn Regan before, so that was interesting, but when I love music that raises my spirit through surprise and novelty and skill, this did the exact opposite. Like a long, boring conversation with someone you’re trying to get away from. Actually found myself getting angrier as the album went on. Drawlllllll. (2.5)

Now, the second time I've sat through that album. Rich in lyrical content, but musically not a lot to grab onto for me. Notes, melodies, music are always my first draw. Don't think I'll be putting this on a third time.

Not a fan

Not for me

Lots of soft guitar. Gentle singing. Story-telling. Religious feel. Reminds me of Simon & Garfunkel as well as Neil Diamond. Not my style but not bad.

I was surprised how much I liked this album. Not a top tier for me by any stretch, but it was far more-- enjoyable?-- than I thought it would be. Classic and captures very clearly who Leonard Cohen was. It isn't for everyone, and I think a lot of the critiques are valid. But it does capture a moment in time and an important musical influence.

1. zuzanne - 2.5 2. mazter - 2 3. lady - 1.5 4. ztranger - 2 5. mercy - 1.5 6. long - 2.5 7. goodbye - 2 8. ztreet - 2 9. teacherz - 2 10. uurong - 2.5

Great, poignant lyrics over music that just drags.

no hübsch, herzig, schön und beruhigend zum im hintergrund lose bim butze. aber ich merke, dass so singer-songwriter zügs nöd so mis isch, d akkörd sind mer zu predictable und ufd lyrics losi nöd so fest, drum seit mir das amel nöd so vill.

Each song was literally just the same tune repeated over and over again for three to four minutes. I'm not exaggerating at all. Every. Single. Song. Also, his voice was terrible, and he decided that it would be a great idea to not mask that fact by having only a guitar for accompaniment. There were maybe two songs that had more instrumentation, and unsurprisingly, his voice didn't sound as terrible! Leonard Cohen, I don't care how good your writing is if you keep repeating the same tune over and over. If you're good at poetry but bad at musicality, write a poem, not a song. Thank you and goodnight.

it was pretty mid except for teachers

A little too much of the same song the whole time.

Stille, ikke helt min smag

I'm not a massive LC fan. This wasn't really my thing.

Was interesting towards the beginning, but you lost me by being too mumbly...

Never gonna get it! Although this is most paletable

Somewhat depressing.

sleepet

😴

Cohen has a classical voice, and interesting lyrics. It's like what Dylan could have been if he had a decent singing voice. But, Cohen suffers from the same thing as Dylan, long rambling songs that become monotonous after the 8th verse.

it was pretty good - not super my taste

Да блять)

ceonard lohen

Thought this was quite boring tbh

**boring album, very slow , repetitive, and all tracks sound alike

Reminded me a lot of Bob Dylan. It was fine but I'm not going to relisten.

One long play song. Dreary.

I get why Leonard Cohen is highly regarded, but to me, he's like Dylan but more boring.

Started off interested by the stories weaved by Cohen, but then he sounded bored of singing them so I got bored

one of us cannot be bothered to listen closely to this album

It was ok, forgotten most of this already, but I did like So Long, Marianne.

Bob Dylan for wannabe intellectuals

This is fine. I'm not really that into folk other than a few artists like Nick Drake, probably because it usually emphasises lyrics and I've never paid particularly close attention to lyrics (I should probably pay more attention to them). The album felt pretty samey throughout because of that. For example, I'm sure the vocal melodies on Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye are almost directly lifted from earlier in the album I also find some of the swells in Cohen's voice mildly annoying but I can't really explain why, like with Suzanne Vega Not bad, but not that amazing either. 2.5 Highlights: Master Song, So Long Marianne

I went in with fairly high expectations, and I have to say, I didnt really care for it. I think there was a certain sound/style that balladeers went for in the late 60s that doesnt gel with me. It was definitely technically proficient and he has a distinct voice, but I didnt find anything on the album that stuck with me.

This was a tough listen.

I do not like that I'd given SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH a 2. To this day, honestly, I feel kind of bad about that. Y'know, 'coz I was so down on that album right after I'd been so glowing about IF YOU WANT IT DARKER... I understand that this is me overthinking things, and that I don't really think this, and that it's really not that deep, but, like... I'unno. With the way I remember framing those reviews, I feel like I was saying that his music is as good as its proximity to his passing. That just does not feel like a right thing to believe, whether I'm talking about a legend of Canadian music or not. And, y'know, of course that's not the real problem. No matter how I worry that I subconsciously or unintentionally think it is or whatever, I'd never be so callous. No, the real problem is that SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH is 60's/70's singer-songwriter folk. And I **do not** mess with 60's/70's singer-songwriter folk. Like I explained back in my SOLID AIR review, singer-songwriters of this era come across to me to the effect of poets pretending to be musicians. The words are what they put all their effort into, and then also they know how to plonk along on an acoustic guitar or whatever. And for me, no matter how good the words are, poetry is simply not what I come to music for — and acoustic plonking isn't enough melody to keep me entertained. Even if Leonard Cohen was actually, like, **really good** at acoustic plonking, from what I remember. So... Gosh, I put off actually listening to the album for so long. Even that intro I wrote down was part of my procrastination. It's just because I had this worry in the back of my head that I'd end up feeling the same about this album as I did SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH. The last thing I need is another 2 to feel bad about. No matter how much I know it doesn't mean anything... Dang it, that's just the way I am, y'know? And, well... It's slightly better than I'd worried? Or it started that way, anyway. I mean, it's still Cohen picking away at his guitar while he kind of boringly sings his poetry, but there is actually a **tiny** bit more going to hold my attention. It's ultimately not too much, but damn it, "any port in a storm" and all that. The orchestral parts that show up are neat. The strings sound kinda pretty. And the female backing vocals that there are sometimes? Yeah, I'm down for those, too. That's all good stuff. They're just... Not enough for me, honestly. They're almost enough, but they just can't fully mask up that this is music I don't typically enjoy listening to. Doesn't help that "The Stranger Song" doesn't have anything else going on for it besides this endless loop of fingerpicking. Goodness, at least "Teachers" has more than one instrument... In the end, I feel like the most I can give this album is that it kind of manages to surpass my initial assumption. This isn't just "poetry where music happens to be there"; there's clearly a bit more intention going on hre. But all the same, it's still poetry first and first. And I just do not have the attention span to comprehend them on a first listen, nor even the smarts to understand what I do manage to catch. And I feel like, if you're not able to pick up on the lyrics, well... Maybe this music just isn't for you. And it's damn sure not for me. I was hoping to avoid giving Leonard another 2. Like, if my feelings about this album fell out that way, sure, fine; there's nothing I can do about that. But I was just hoping, hoping, **hoping** there would be enough here to at minimum justify bumping it up a point. And there wasn't. Just barely, there was not. So... Yeah. Another 2. Jus'... I'unno. I hope my group doesn't get another singer-songwriter album for a long time.

I understand his lyrics are great. But this is really not my genre and the music is not that enjoyable

Good guitar work and a nice voice. But the lyrics seem pretentious and wordy. Not terribly interesting. It's Bob Dylan, but worse.

The Good: The title of the album is pretty straightforward, no room for doubt! The Bad: One could have opted for the alternative title “snooze-fest after about 3 minutes” The Ugly: Keep your sharp objects far away and hidden, for if not… Mr Cohen is, undoubtedly, a great song-writer. One of the best of his generation, potentially of a century. I know some great stand-up artist who never should have starred in a movie… Till today, I had never had to sit through an entire album by Leonard Cohen, and I think that, after today, I am uncertain I will want to repeat the experience—haven’t checked to see if he has more albums on this list. I can understand that there are people who are great fans of his, but his voice is boring for me, and his guitar playing starts pounding my head like a bad hangover… So, All the Sisters of Mercy, They are Not Departed or Gone, They are Waiting for Me When I Thought That I just Can’t Go ON… 2*

Lyrically this is actually fantastic - i don't overly love the instrumentation. But his lyrics are absolutely incredible which really pumps the value up here. He doesn't get the love for Hallelujah(not on here) probably because of the Rufus Wainwright, and more importantly, Jeff Buckley renditions. But I think a Lenny Cohen, Neil Young collab could've been really cool(if that exists i might not be aware of it) Overall solid

Very sombre

The music made for a chilled listening session, but the vocals were underwhelming at times, and didn't captivate my attention. "So Long, Marianne" was the best song on the album. I feel like I could've got more out of the album had I paid more attention to the lyrics, but for a first listen, I'd say 2/5.

Oblique poetry accompanied by an acoustic guitar. I'm sure someone wrote a dissertation interpreting the lyrics. Not feeling it today.

Slow, simple, folk tunes like a man strumming a guitar by the creekside - Cohen has a great voice which is the standout element from the album - Quite monotonous as songs all generally sound the same, instrumentals are quite boring

This has been the best of the Leonard Cohen albums I’ve generated… doesn’t say too much though. After 4 songs or so, his voice becomes grating.

I liked this more than You Want it Darker

I have heard Leonard Cohens name throughout the years and I have heard Hallelujah sung by him but before this album that's about it. He has a nice voice and the slow tempo songs creates a mood in a great way. If I were in that particular mood I can see this album being the perfect thing to play in the background while reading for example. That being said its definitely not an every-day listening album for me.

2 out of 5. Leonard has a good voice voice, but this album isn't for me.

not my style

Never heard this before. There's a lot of Bob Dylan songs I don't like, and none of them are as bad as the songs on this album.

I like Leonard Cohen less and less with each album. He wears you down.

Nothing more to say here: still just off key, rambling, nothing catchy or engaging.

Can't figure out how to describe this, but would never willingly listen to it.

Not my favorite

i might just be really tired already but this album is genuinely putting me to sleep.

Boring

not bad, but not my thing at all...

I don't understand the fascination with Leonard Cohen. He's a poet who shouldn't sing, but does anyway, just like Bob Dylan, but somehow worse. I didn't hate this one, but I'm not entirely sure I can justify this with a 3/5 rating. It's not a 1/5, but there's a good chance it'll get the deuce.

not my cup of tea really can appreciate the poetry of it, but the slowness doesn’t do it for me 3/4 out of 10

I think these songs need someone to actually sing them, not just speak the lyrics. The precise pronunciation is off-putting, even the song titles are proper. It's, "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong," instead of using "Can't (and speaking of this song, the weird sing/yelling at the end seems very out of place on this album). I'm staring at this album cover and I can't decide if it looks like a headshot for Ray Romano or Dustin Hoffman, and that is confusing my brain because I can't reconcile his voice to this picture. Oh, I just heard a mouth harp, cool.

Loved Marianne, the rest is pretty meh. 2.5

Bob Dylan-esque but a little less annoying. Still pretty one dimensional though

The most enjoyable (for me) Leonard Cohen thus far. Probably 2.5

I just still don't get Leonard Cohen...

Sounds like a boring version of Bob Dylan: a poetry audiobook with background guitar.

2.4

I’m not even going try to get behind this. I don’t like it because it’s boring, and he can’t sing.

I'm sure some poets love this shit

Leonard Cohen tells a story here. A story that put me to sleep.

Another dramatic shift, this time from Van Halen and thoughtless rock to this poetry album. Again making me feel I need to be more appreciative of what I’m listening to that day. I’ve had Suzanne on the “liked” playlist for a while, and that song is very nice sounding and evokes some interesting thoughts. That said, the full album listen made me feel like I was completely ill-equipped to appreciate this. I’m missing two major prerequisites - I’ve never read the Bible/didn’t go to church and I don’t fundamentally understand poetry. Is good poetry like a puzzle with no clear answer? Highlight was Master Song - the accents from the horns and violin were very cool. Low rating but it’s not you, Leonard, it’s me.

Great lyrics, but all the songs sound the same.

A bit dull and bland. Not very interesting

I'm so sick of all these Leonard Cohen albums. It's like if Paul Simon wasn't radio-friendly. Leo is a talented musician but every track sounds identical to me and very 'set' in his style. The guitar playing is impressive and his voice is fine. Lyrics are sad but fail to have an impact. Fav Track: Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye

227/1001 😴 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Can't figure it out how to describe this, but would never willingly listen to it.

Never heard this before. There's a lot of Bob Dylan songs I don't like, and none of them are as bad a the songs on this album.

it was ok

major snoozefest

Surprised me in the end, not terrible

Πολυ μονοτονο αλλα respectable: smooth vocals, ωραιοι στιχοι αλλα οπως ειπε και ο φαδερ, πιο πολυ ποιητης παρα μουσικος Rating : C -

Here we are again, Leonard. It seems you’re sad. Again. Did you take your pills? Yes, from the bottle sitting on your bible. Or bibles. Why are there so many bookmarks sticking out of it? No, you’re not having another drink, let’s go get you some sunshine. Jesus, Leonard.

Strum strum strum, talk talk talk. The originator of the Coldplay school of music. Anyway, not too enjoyable but also not bad in small doses. Really good lyrics. But so goddamn boring for a whole album

Every song sounds the same and is equally monotonous and boring as the one before and one after it. Generous 2.

okay, kinda lowkey, not really the sound i look for a lot of the time

may be worth a relisten, just wasn't in a singer songwriter mood

Stick to wearing lame hats

Interesting, but not for me.

A little boring for me. Can get a 2 Will I listen to again: 0%

I despise the way that he stretches single syllables out for multiple syllables, makes it sound so jarring A lot of the instrumentals are nice though, and it's not all bad better than a certain velvety album

This music cured my insomnia. Leonard Cohen is a genius. 5 stars, bravo

Eh, it's alright. Better than the last Cohen album I heard. It just doesn't resonate with me the way it seems like all the critics seem to think it should. Not a fan of his vocal technique, it just sounds like lazy half-singing. There is a bit of inspired guitar playing which I was surprised to hear. He just sort of comes across as a haughty, elitist douchbag, whose girlfriends keep leaving him and he's all "It's not me, they're all the crazy ones!"

Leonard Cogen just does not click with me at this point in my life. I find his music boring. Most music that’s just a guy and a guitar I do not care for.

The chord progression really irked me in Stories Of The Street, especially the A - Am change. As someone who lives in Montreal and sees one of his murals from the office tower most days of the week, I should be more into the musical darling of this city, but I struggle to hear the appeal.

Musically good but, in my opinion, too boring, all the same songs that seem a single lament, is not really my genre

Not really my style, a little bit slow for my tastes. I could see myself falling asleep to this stuff though.

Jack off to lyrics by Leonard Cohen

pure valium.

Maybe has a place in its era. Probably bias, but not Leonard Cohen.. fan wasn’t my favorite.

boring sorry

Previously rated: Songs Of Love And Hate (2/5) ********************************** The guy is quite the lyricist, even though a lot of times it sounds like stream of consciousness stuff. I don't know if this is genius or just random nonsense: An Eskimo showed me a movie He'd recently taken of you The poor man could hardly stop shivering His lips and his fingers were blue I suppose that he froze when the wind took your clothes And I guess he just never got warm But you stand there so nice in your blizzard of ice Oh please, let me come into the storm Besides that, the man can't (or just doesn't) sing and the instrumentation is sparse. It's dull and tiring for the most part. I did like one song, "So Long, Marianne." It's got backup singing, some percussion, and it's actually a bit catchy.

OK.

It’s all the same thing over and over again

Guitar playing: 4/5 Singing: 2/5 Vibe: 1/5 Overall rating: 2/5 I didn't particularly like this album, but I can appreciate that some people might. It's very sentimental, but me + folk music don't get along very well.

Leonard, I know that you're rightfully a Canadian icon, but this album is dreadfully boring. I know for a fact that acoustic guitar was not the only instrument that existed in 1967. (Yes, there are other instruments on a couple of other songs but the majority of the album is heavily driven by acoustic guitar.) This is another album I'd put on if I was having trouble falling asleep.

Can’t lie I got bored listening. I can tell that it’s beautiful music but I can’t imagine myself listening again.

Canada's answer to Bob Dylan. Only less talented and more boring.

It's okay, but the last minute of the album is just god awful, so deducting a star for that. Is that fair? Probably not. However, it was the artist's choice to have me listen to whatever that ending was and that wasn't fair either.

Nothing I really enjoyed here. Was pretty laid back and chill but forgettable. Low 2.

Meh

bruh no one warned me I was gonna need ear plugs

A couple of standouts, but mostly it hasn't left an impression since I heard it on Friday.

Better than other Cohen we have listened to, but he just doesn't do it for me much. 2/5

Kind of boring tbh. If Bob Dylan could actually sing, he'd be Leonard Cohen. I guess a lot of the appeal lies in the poetry of the lyrics, but honestly I can't make heads or tails of most of it. I feel like this kind of thing just goes over my head

A little classic old school

Eher langweilig zu hören 2/5

Oof. This is my second LC album. It may have beauty, and poetry, but man does it drag. But I'm just 2 songs in. So let's see. Religious imagery, strike two. Ok, I finished. I'm sure some like this the easy I like Dylan's first album. Just not me.

kinda boring

I can appreciate his talent as a songwriter, but I really don't care for his music. Too dreary.

Parts I didn’t like: -boring songs -inscrutable songs -feeling like I needed an MFA in poetry to even begin to care about the songs -no melody to the songs -asking myself “is a pop album supposed to be fun or memorable?” roughly half a million times -wanting to kill myself both from the songs’ content and their existence themselves, as songs -that one song where he fingerpicks an arpeggio while he kinda talk-sings? You know the one Parts I did like: -only 41 minutes! -based on that cover photo, Leonard cohen can totally get it -feeling like a saucy medieval boy -feeling like if I write some total pompous bs and also strum my guitar a little bit, I too can be a celebrated troubadour -“hey, that’s no way to say goodbye” and also like a half point for “so long, Marianne”

was vibing at first, then every song sounded the same & i think this guy yaps too much. hallelujah or whatever he said

I’m never really been a big fan of Leonard Cohen, but found this album a bit more enjoyable than the other stuff I’ve heard from him . Kind of had to force myself to finish the album and don’t really remember much of it. I didn’t hate it and it’d be fine if I heard it the background, but not really going out of my way to listen to it and kind of just solidifies my idea that I don’t really care for Leonard Cohen’s music

Not his worst

4 Leonard Cohen albums in my first 270 picks. I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve this, but I am deeply deeply sorry.

Is this objectively great, as so many seem to think? Or is it maudlin garbage? Was Jack the Ripper a sixty foot sea serpent from Scotland? Did I take this job for a quick buck? We may never know the answers to these questions, every one of these songs sounds exactly the same, and they all make me want to drown myself in a pool. I'm only giving it a 2.5 because the poetry is pretty good.

unchanging songs that go on too long, the lyrics I think are what he’s known for, but to me it’s boring

This album feels like just one long hipster mansplain.

STANDOUTS: n/a OVERALL: 2/5; I certainly didn't ask for two Leonard Cohen albums in the span of two weeks

Never been a fan of Cohen. Some songs are ok but generally I've never benn able to connect to his music. This album is slow and for me not really interesting.

Ist mir etwas zu seicht.

This guy. The epitome of writing nice poetry and pretty tunes and then just slapping them together regardless of how they line up. It always bothers me how his vocal phrases don't at all fit with the melody he writes. And don't get me started on rhyming gone with alone.

Some beautiful compositions in the most monotone and boring album you could think of. Too bad, because the songs are objectively good.

Pleasant enough, but the lyrics are hardly 'Container Drivers', let's face it. Feels very self-indulgent, and I don't really find Leonard interesting enough to want to know that much about his love life.

Much prefer his later work.

Not quite as interesting as the other Leonard Cohen album I had. Some of the music is a little repetitive.

As a full time yearner who feels sick with nostalgia almost daily, I CANNOT listen to music like this. It's all "you were so sad, and your hair was so soft" cheers lad I'm crying now. I am happy to reduce my exposure to this music to hearing it on films during sad montages. Tracks I actually liked: - So Long, Marianne - Teachers

Va ganske kjedelig

algunas canciones como Suzanne son algo monótonas, pero es agradable de escuchar si estás en ese modo de paz, pero no es algo que escucharías con amigos. pero me gustaría destacar la canción stories of the street, que no irónicamente me gustó bastante

The listless talky singing and meandering incidental music overwhelmed the enjoyment of the occasional interesting lyrics.

I made it to sisters of mercy before running out of steam. Very dad rock.

meh 2/5

Flat, mundane, boring, uninspired. List goes on

"Songs of Leonard Cohen" is the debut album by Canadian folk singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Considered contemporary folk, this album is dreary and generally uninteresting.

I know I'm supposed to like Leonard Cohen, but what a snooze fest

There seems to be a lot of depth in the lyricism but this is far too boring of a listen to try to grasp what's being said. Every song is Cohen whispering over some light guitar chords. Heavy amount of religious elements. Would be a better to read as a poem book.

Not a fan, the overall tone is very melancholy. While I have more of an appreciation for the lyrics, it’s not for me.

I can only assume his words, his poetry, is compelling. I don't have the time to focus on that.I don't mind and may even enjoy stripped down, acoustic music. But for God's sake, there's got to be a hook. His voice is thoroughly uninteresting. The melodies are unvaried. And what I did hear of the words was depressing or religious. ...and then, he started to whistle!....poorly. It felt like an achievement get through the whole thing. Actually, you know how in Spotify, when you listen to an album and its over, the stream plays 1 more song by the artist from another of their albums before going on to radio based on the album? That song, (not sure what it was) from a more recent album where his voice is deeper with no range, was better than any I heard on this album. Anyway I give it 2 stars only because of benefit of the doubt about his lyrics.

Holy shit this is boring

I appreciate Leonard Cohen and love many of his songs but this album doesn’t really do it for me.

✅ took the whispering into the mic thing from gilberto and wrote poetry in english. lacks the melodic appeal of joni mitchell, but charming in his own right.

A boring, long-winded album that has no place being on a top list. There were some ok throwback vibes but other than that not a good one. 2/5.

Takie se. Nie pociąga mnie ten spokojny balladowy śpiew.

This reminds me quite a lot of Bob Dylan. It's quite basic music often times, where it's the words and lyrics that are meant to carry the weight. As established, I am not much for lyrics or poetry though, it doesn't touch me nearly in the same way that the other musical parts can do. So just like the Bob Dylans records, it's quite boring and not very fun to be honest. The first few songs were quite a drag. Then it picked up around the middle, peaking with 'So Long, Marianne' which I thought was a really good song. Other than that I had a hard time finding songs that I liked, and it all sort of meld together. I'll give this a strong 2, simply because I dislike more things than I like. But some parts do have something that could be worth going through again in the future.

- boringgggggg - sick of Leonard Cohen tbh - I could put it on in the background so I won’t give it a 1 but it’s close

- decent singer/songwriter - a little less spoken word - still not something I enjoy

This is ok, this singer-songwriter stuff is not necessarily my jam. 2* Too dull. I fail to see how this is different from the female songwriter stuff (Nico) I got a week or so ago. I enjoyed So long, Marianne because we actually had other voices than just LC+guitar.

Didn’t click with me at all. Boring. 2.4

Dit is totaal niet mijn smaak. Dus eigenlijk moet ik hier gewoon niet over oordelen. Doe ik lekker toch. Dit album moet het hebben van het overbrengen van gevoel. Ben je daar gevoelig voor, zal het een prima schijf voor je zijn. Mij raakt het niet en dan is het vooral saai. Een uitzondering voor Suzanne. Zelf ik kan dat nummer waarderen. En dan kan ik het dus opbrengen om naar dat nummer nog wat beter te luisteren. Het is gewoon een uitstekend artiest merk ik dan. Maar ja. Dat is nummer 1 en daarna verveel ik me 9 nummers lang.

jeg kan ikke

Two timeless classics Marianne & Suzanne, but the rest is hard to listen to.

Great songwriting-5 stars; musicality-1-2 stars at most

Story time. I need to listen to it again. So far...2/5

Nicht meine Richtung

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Honestly, there's only real music on once track here. The rest is just noodling around in guitar in a way that is not clear.

The only song I could really tolerate on this album was the Marianne song. It didn't seem to fit within the rest of the context of the album... That was a good thing for me. The rest of it didn't seem to have much depth or meaning for me.... But it felt like it was supposed to be some serious emotional album.... That never really reached the audience and fell short of its ambition. After two Leonard Cohen albums I figured out that I'm not a fan ✌🏽💩. Does anyone besides pixie really read these things?

There seems to be a theme of religious despair, depression, and mortality in Cohen’s work. This is a heavy album that reads like a mental health journal gone awry.

I wanted to like this more. I was into the first couple songs and as it went on I got less and less interested. Lyrically I really loved it but the delivery and music started to blur together.

Sleepytime Bob Dylan. Similar to Simon & Garfunkel. Not unbearable but not particularly enjoyable. One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong is actually pretty good. Adding this to my list "1001 albums you must hear before you die if you want to die of boredom"

2.5 Too much Leonard cohen on this list forreal

etwas zu ruhig, plätschert so dahin

I liked "Suzanne", but outside of that song everything else was too slow and droning.

A bit of a snooze, slightly preferable to Dylan.

Feels like a spoken word album.

Can I appreciate this? Yes. Does it really qualify as music? Probably not.

There is literally no range in his voice throughout. I understand it's all about the lyrics telling a story, the way it is you might as well recite the lyrics lol

No disrespect to Leonard Cohen who is an excellent songwriter and lyricist and all that, but this kind of low energy folk just never did it for me.

He's just not a singer? He creates amazing stories, but I was quite literally falling asleep listening to this.

Not really my cup of tea

Dull

Painful, how did he get not one, two, but four albums in this list. There are plenty of other better albums than his.

Words:Cohen=concept:air